Trial begins for former Thai PM accused of mismanagement

BANGKOK – Testimony has begun at the trial of former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who faces up to 10 years in prison on charges of mismanaging a rice subsidy program.

Her prosecution under the military government is widely seen as a political effort, an attempt to cripple the political machine founded by her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and Yingluck's government was overthrown in 2014.

Last year, Yingluck was banned from politics for five years after a military-appointed legislature judged her guilty of mismanaging the rice program.

The charges against Yingluck comprise dereliction of duty and failure to stop corruption said to be linked to the subsidy scheme, which is estimated to have cost the government billions of dollars.